The United States Constitution

The following edition of The Consitution of the United States of America has been based on many hours of study of a variety of editions, and will include certain variant spellings, punctuation, and captialization as we have been able to reasonable ascertain belonged to the orginal. In case of internal discrepancies in these matters, most or all have been left. In our orginal editions the letters were all CAPITALS, and we did not do anything about capitalization, consistent or otherwise, nor with most of the punctuation, since we had limited punctionation in those days. This document does NOT include the amendments, as the Bill of Rights was one of our earlier Project Gutenberg Etexts, and the others will be sent in a separate posting. *** We would ask that any Consitutional scholars would please take a minute, or longer, to send us a note concerning possible corrections. *** THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1787 We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Article I Section 1 . All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Section 2 . The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting…